Method and apparatus for cutting the head from an elongated member and moving the member to a predetermined position



May 29, 1956 J. G. BAUMGARTNER 2,747,268

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE HEAD FROM AN ELONGATED MEMBER ANDMOVING THE MEMBER TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION Filed April 18 1951 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. cjfin &. 151mm gari'ner y 1956 J. G.BAUMGARTNER 2,747,268

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE HEAD FROM AN ELONGATED MEMBER ANDMOVING THE MEMBER TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 18 1951 ax I. 28

INVENTOR.

6 ,Baumgariner Tlnited States Patent Ofice Patented May 29, 1956 METHODAND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE HEAD FROM AN ELONGATED MEMBER AND MOVINGTHE MEMBER TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION John G. Baumgartner, Oswego, Ill.

Application April 18, 1951, Serial No. 221,651

7 Claims. (Cl. 29-418) This invention relates generally to themanufacture of small brushes, and more particularly to the handling ofsmall plastic brush handles preparatory to the insertion of bristlestherein and/ or the carrying out of other manufacturing operations.

Small brushes for use in applying lacquer or the like, such asfingernail polish brushes, have been constructed with the handle portionof the brush being of a molded plastic material. Machines have beenprovided for placing the bristles in the handle and for furtherprocessing of the brush. In some cases, the handle is thereafter securedto the cap of the bottle in which the lacquer or other material isobtained. These brushes are very small with the handles being of aboutthe size of a standard match stick. The two ends of the handles are ofdifferent configurations with one end having a recess for receiving thebristles and the other end being of such configuration to be easilyinserted in a cap or the like. The handles are held in a fixture whilethe bristles are inserted in the recess in the one end thereof and/ orduring other operations in the manufacture of the brush. Because of theunsymmetrical configuration of the handles, it is necessary that thehandles be fed into the fixture in a predetermined manner. Accordingly,it has been difiicult to provide an automatic mechanism for feeding thehandles into the machine and it has been standard practice to feed thehandles into the machine by hand.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to simplify themanufacture of small brushes by automatically feeding the brush handlesinto the machine for assembling and/or otherwise processing the brush.-

A further object of this invention is to provide a device forautomatically feeding plastic handles of elongated configuration into aholding fixture, with the handles being inserted in the fixture in apredetermined position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method forconstructing the handle and feeding the same into a fixture with apredetermined orientation.

A feature of this invention is the provision of a method for feeding asmall elongated brush handle into a fixture wherein the handle isoriginally formed with a head therein, and is supported by the headuntil it reaches a predetermined position at which the head is removedand the motion of the handle controlled so that it falls in apredetermined position from which it is moved horizontally into thefixture.

A further feature of this invention is the provision of a device havingconveyor means for supporting elongated plastic handles by headsthereon, cutting means for severing the heads and means for controllingthe movement of the elongated handles from vertical to horizontalpositions and plunger means for forcing the handles into a fixture inthe proper end to end relation.

Further objects and features, and the attending advantages of theinvention will be apparent from a consideration of the followingdescription when taken in v connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich: j

Fig. l is a perspective view of a brush assembling machine incorporatingthe feeding device in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the feeding device inaccordance with the invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the device of Fig. 2 in other positions;

Fig. 5 illustrates the hopper structure;

Fig. 6 illustrates a handle with the head thereon, and

Fig. 7 illustrates a handle having the head removed and bristlesinserted in one end of the handle.

In practicing the invention there is provided a brush making machineincluding a hopper for receiving elongated brush handles having headsformed at one end thereof. The hopper includes a rotating disc withslots therein into which the elongated portions of the handles extend sothat the handles are supported by the heads thereon. An inclined channelextends from the hopper, having a slot therein for retaining the handlesby the heads thereon, so that the handles slide from the hopper down thechannel to the brush assembling machine. At the end of the channel thereis provided a cutting and indexing device for severing the head from thelowermost handle. This handle is dropped on an inclined surface so thatthe elongated portion adjacent the head falls away from the cuttingposition. The inclined member is then withdrawn allowing the elongatedportion to fall on a horizontal surface with the portion adjacent thehead still further away from the cutting position. A plunger thenengages the head and moves the same horizontally into a fixture whichresiliently holds the handle While it is moved through various positionswherein bristles are inserted in the handle and/ or other operations areperformed thereon. Control means are provided for the indexing andcutting device, for controlling the position of the inclined portion,and for operating the plunger.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is illustrated a brushmaking machine including a hopper 10 into which handles are placed. Anoperator places handles in the hopper 10 from a container 7, with thedeflector 8 directing any handles that are dropped on a table. Fig. 6illustrates one form which the handle may take, with the handle beingdesignated 20, the stem 21 and the head 22. As previously stated, thehandle is made of plastic material, and can be formed with the head 22thereon in various manners known in the art, such as by the use of amultiple cavity injection mold. A rotating disc 11, driven by motor 9,is provided in the hopper having slots 12 therein of such width toreceive the elongated stem portions of the handles therein, and whichhold the handles by the heads formed thereon. The disc 11 rotates in aclockwise direction with the handles which have dropped into the slotsthereof being brought to a position where they slide into a channelportion 13 within the hopper which connects with a channel portion 14extending from the hopper to the machine. This channel including theportions 13 and 14 is inclined so that the handles will slidetherealong, being supported in a substantially vertical position by theheads thereon which engage the sides of the channel.

The handles supplied by the channel are to be positioned in supportingmeans at the edge of a disc 15, which disc is rotated to move thehandles to various positions. The ,novel structure for inserting thehandles in the edge of the disc is illustrated in Figs. 2-5 and .Will bedescribed more in detail. Bristles 24, provided in a slide, are insertedin the handles at one position, with a handle having the bristlesinserted therein being illustrated at 16, and the completed handle maythen "be transferred to a conveyor for holding the same against grindingwheels 17 and 18 which finish the bristle tufts. Such grinding apparatusmay be in accordance with my prior appli- 3 cation Serial No. 74,106,filed February .2, .1949, now Patent No. 2,685,477, subject Brush MakingMachine and Method. The completed brush is shown in Fig. 7, with thet'ufts 24 being inser'tedin the stem 21.

Referring now more particularly to the apparatus for feeding the brushhandles into the supporting fixture of the brush making machine,reference is made to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive. Fig. 5 shows more in detailthe hopper construction with the rotating disc 11 which moves thehandles around to the conveying channel. A lip 19 prevents the handles20 fro'rnfalling out of the disc :11 until they reach 'the ch'airnel '13so that all of the handles inthe various slots 12 are brought around tothe position in which they slide into the channel 1-3.

In Fig. --2 there is illustrated the lowerend of the channel14throughwhichthe handles slide due'to the inclination of the channel. A stopplate prevents the handles from isliding out of the channel and has-anotch therein for receivingthe lowermost handle. Aknife 26 is mounted toslide along the top of the plate 25 for severing the head 22 from theelongated handle portion 21. The knife 26 is supported by the shaft 27,and has secured thereto a finger 28 which holds back all the handlesexcept the lowest one, so thato'nly the head of the lowest handle is cutoff. An air connection is made to the knife through flexible tube 29,which communicates with a passage 30 in the handle having an opening 31adjace'ri-tthe-cutting edged the knife. Airis supplied'through the tube29 to the passage for blowing the severed head out of the way. The knifeis moved by an arm 35 connected to the shaft 27 and is operated byconnecting rod 36 and pivoted arm 37. The arm 37 is secured to the framestructure at 38 and includes a cam follower 39 engaging cam 40 on thecontrol shaft 41. Cam 40 is of such shape to permit the spring 42 topull the arm 37 "forward so that the edge-of the knife 26 is rotatedcounterclockwise to sever the head 22 as shown in Fig. 3. The cam 40then causes the arm 37 to be pivoted back so that'theknife is inposition to sever the head from the ne-xt'handle.

The elongated portion 21 of the handle drops down after the head 22 issevered therefrom on the inclined surface '45 of the sliding block 46.This inclined surface insures that the elongated portion 21 rests inapredetermined position when it falls. The block 46 is connected to ashaft '47 having a projection 48 thereon engaged by arm '49. The arm 49is pivoted to the frame structure at 50 and includes a cam follower '51engaging cam 52 on the'control shaft 41. A spring 53 normally holds theblock in the position under the knife, and the cam SZ is of suchconfiguration that the arm 49 and rod 47move to positions so that theblock 46 is withdrawn after the elongated portion 21 rests thereon toallow the elongated "portion to fall into a horizontal groove 55.

After the elongated portion of thehandle is in position in the groove55, a plunger engages the end thereof andpushes the handle horizontallyinto an opening'providedby the notch 61 in the disc 15 and the plate 62resiliently held over the notch 61. This frictionally holds the handleon the disc 15 while the bristles are inserted therein and/or otheroperations are performed on the same. As shown in Fig. 3, the plunger 60is connect'edto an arm 63 pivoted at 64 to the frame structure. The armincludes a cam follower 65 thereon engaging cam 6'6 onthe control shaft67. The control shaft 67 is coordinated with the control shaft 41 sothat the operation of the plunger '60 is, properly synchronized with theoperation of the knife 25 and the sliding block 46.

It will be apparentfrom the foregoing that by the provisionof-headsonthe small elongated handles, the handles can be placed in the hopperina randommann'er, and will he fed down'the channel to themechanism-for'inserting the same-in the holding fixture. The heads are,of course, always placed on the same end of the elongated portion, thisbeing illustrated as the end to be inserted in a cap or the like. Theother end of the handle includes a recess 23 for receiving the bristletuft 24. By the provision of the block with an inclined surface on whichthe elongated portion drops, which block slides out of the way, theproper end to end relation of the handle with respect to the holdingfixture can bedefinitely established. The handle is also dropped so thatit is directed properly to be inserted in the horizontal opening in thefixture and may be inserted therein simply by engaging the same at theremote end by the sliding plunger. This arrangement absolutely insuresthat'the handles are positioned in the fixture correctly.

By the use of the process described, it is possible to automaticallyfeed the small 'elon'g'atedhandles for brushes into a fixture in thebrush making machine. This eliminates the need for an operator who mustposition the brushes individually by h'an'd, as has been formerlyrequired. The structure required is relatively simple and does not addsubstantially-to the overall cost of such brush making machines. Theplastic material from which the handle is made can be remolded sothatthe material used in forming the head on the .handle can be reusedand thereforeis not wasted.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, -it -isobvious that "various modifications and changes can be made thereinwithout departing from the intended scope of the -inven'tion as definedin the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. The method of 'positioning an elongated member having endso'f'diiferen't configuration into a holding fixture having a horizontalopening for receiving the member, with the endsof'the member extendingin predetermined positions in the fixture, said method including thesteps of, forming said 'member with a headon one end thereof, slidingthe member on the head thereof into a desired position, molding saidmember 'by the 'head thereof in a substantially vertical position,cutting the head off the member and allowing the member to drop,controlling the movement "of the elongated member from a substantiallyvertical position through an intermediate in- 'c lined position to asubstantially horizontal position, and moving the elongated memberhorizontally into the open- 2. -Adevice for automiatical'ly handlingelongated plastic members which have heads formed thereon to facilitatehandling the same, said -device including in combination, hopper meansfor receiving said members in random positions and for feeding the sameindividually-in "predetermined positions, channel-means connected tosaid hopper means for feeding said members to a particularioc'ation andincluding portions on which said heads are supported sothat'eachelongated member is in a predeterminedpositionwhen said particularlocation is. reached, separating means at said particular location forindividually receiving said members thereat, cutting means for removingthe head of the member at said particular location, means for movingsaid elongated members individually from said particular location to asecond location wit-h the position of said member at said secondlocation having a predetermined relation with said predeterminedposition of said member-at said particular location, and control meansfor-operating said separating means, 'said cutting means and said movingmeans for automatically moving the members to said second 'location.

3. A-deviee for automatically handling elongated members having ends ofdifferent configuration and which have heads formed thereon tofacilitate handling the same, said device including in combination,channel means for individually feeding said'members to -a firstio'cationfhoppermeans associated'with said channel means .for'rec'eivingsaidmembers in random positions and for feeding the sameindividually into said channel means,

said channel means including portions on which said heads are supportedso that each elongated member is in a predetermined position when saidfirst location is reached, separating means at said first locationincluding a finger portion for allowing said members to be individuallyreceived at said first location and a cutting portion for removing thehead of each member at said first location, and receiving meanspositioned below said separating means, said members falling on saidreceiving means when said heads are removed therefrom, said receivingmeans moving said members individually from said first location to asecond location and holding the same in a position at said secondlocation having a predetermined relation to said predetermined positionthereof when supported by said heads at said first location.

4. A device for automatically handling elongated members having ends ofdifferent configurations and for individually feeding said members intoa holding fixture with the ends thereof extending in a predeterminedrelation in the fixture, and which members have head portions formed onone of the ends thereof to facilitate original positioning of themembers in a given end to end relation by automatic means, said deviceincluding in combination, feeding means including inclined channelportions for supporting the members by the head portions and feeding thesame toward a predetermined position, with the member at saidpredetermined position being supported by the head portion thereof andthe elongated portion extending substantially vertically downwardlytherefrom, separating means at said predetermined position including afinger portion and a cutting portion, said separating means operating sothat said finger portion allows only one member to move to saidpredetermined position and causing said cutting portion to sever thehead portion from the member at said predetermined position whereby theelongated portion drops downwardly in given end to end relation, a slidemechanism having an inclined surface extending below said predeterminedposition on which the elongated portion drops when the head portion isremoved, support means having a horizontal groove extending below saidinclined surface of said slide mechanism, said slide mechanism includingmeans for withdrawing said inclined surface so that the elongatedportion drops into said horizontal groove, plunger means operating insaid groove for moving the elongated portion horizontally into a holdingfixture, and control means for operating said separating means, saidslide mechanism and said plunger means in sequence so that the elongatedportions are automatically fed into the holding fixture one afteranother.

5. A device fo rautomatically handling elongated members having ends ofdifferent configurations and for individually feeding said members intoa holding fixture with the ends thereof extending in a predeterminedrelation in the fixture, and which members have head portions formed onone of said ends thereof to facilitate original positioning of themembers in a given end to end relation by automatic means, said deviceincluding in combination, feeding means including inclined channelportions for supporting the members by the head portions and feeding thesame toward a predetermined position, with the member at saidpredetermined position being supported by the head portion thereof andthe elongated portion extending substantially vertically downwardlytherefrom, separating means at said predetermined position including afinger portion and a cutting portion, said separating means operating sothat said finger portion allows only one member to move to saidpredetermined position and said cutting portion sevcrs the head portionfrom the member at said predetermined position whereby the elongatedportion drops downwardly in given end to end relation, support meanshaving a horizontal groove, moving means for receiving elongatedportions released at said predetermined position and moving the same tosaid horizontal groove in desired end to end relation, plunger meansoperating in said groove for moving said elongated member horizontallyinto a holding fixture, and control means for operating said separatingmeans, said moving means and said plunger means so that the elongatedportions are automatically fed into the holding fixture one afteranother.

6. The method of handling elongated members having ends of differentconfigurations, and for automatically positioning the members in adesired end to end relation, said method including the steps of, formingthe members with heads on one end thereof, placing a plurality ofmembers in a container, individually picking out said members from thecontainer by the heads thereof, individually conveying said memberstoward a particular location by engagement with the head thereof,separating one member from the others and holding such member at saidparticular location by the head thereof with the elongated memberextending downwardly in a substantially vertical position, cutting thehead from the member at said particular location so that the memberdrops with a desired end to end relation, controlling the movement ofthe elongated member from the substantially vertical position through anintermediate inclined position to a substantially horizontal positionwhile maintaining the desired end to end relation, and moving theelongated member horizontally to a desired position.

7. The method of automatically feeding elongated members having ends ofdifferent configurations into a fixture for holding the members in adesired end to end relation, said method including the steps of formingthe members with heads on one end thereof, placing a plurality ofmembers in a container, individually picking out said members from thecontainer by the heads thereof, individually conveying said members to aparticular location by engagement with the head thereof holding themember at said particular location by the head thereof with theelongated member extending downwardly in a substantially verticalposition, cutting the head from the member at said particular locationso that the member drops with a desired end to end relation, controllingthe movement of the elongated member from the substantially verticalposition to a position aligned with receiving means of the holdingfixture while maintaining the desired end to end relation, and movingthe elongated member longitudinally into the receiving means of theholding fixture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,110,762 Ferry Sept. 15, 1914 1,449,424 LeBoeuf Mar. 27, 1923 2,101,924Turnquist Dec. 14, 1937 2,159,066 Weiner May 23, 1939 2,203,287 SmithJune 4, 1940 2,542,988 Bureau Feb. 27, 1951 2,595,065 Evasic Apr. 29,1952

